1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to automatic drip coffeemakers, and in particular to a top-loading automatic drip coffeemaker having a front-located filter basket and a rear-located water reservoir, and a water inlet adjacent the filter basket for filling a water reservoir from the front of the coffeemaker.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional home coffeemakers are well known, and typically have several operational elements in common, such as a housing enclosing a water reservoir and having a receptacle for receiving a container to hold the coffee beverage, a heating element for heating water, a hotplate for keeping the coffee beverage warm, a showerhead for distributing water over the ground coffee, and a filter basket above the container for holding the ground coffee during the brewing process. The water reservoir is typically located to the rear of the coffeemaker. The container and filter basket are typically located at the front of the coffeemaker.
Notwithstanding the inclusion of several common elements in most coffeemakers, the relative position of these elements can assume several different configurations. For example, some coffeemakers have a slide-in filter basket in combination with an inlet at the front into which water can be poured to fill the reservoir with brewing water. The inlet may have a cover which can be moved from an opened to a closed position over the inlet. The remainder of the top of the coffeemaker will be typically closed. The filter basket will typically be inserted above the container and beneath the inlet and showerhead by sliding the filter basket horizontally from the front into a suitable support structure. This configuration tends to have a long or deep profile because of the filter basket handle extending from the front of the coffeemaker. It is also disadvantageous in that the filter basket must be removed to replace the filter. Furthermore, the coffeemaker must be provided with an enclosure that is independent of the water reservoir enclosure, which must incorporate a separate cover mechanism.
In another configuration, the filter basket is supported in the coffeemaker by dropping the filter basket through an opening in the housing to be suspended above the container. The opening is enclosed by a pivotable cover. Because of the filter basket support, water is introduced into the reservoir by pouring the water directly into the reservoir located behind the filter basket at the rear of the coffeemaker. Thus, it is necessary to reach over the filter basket to pour water into the reservoir. If the coffeemaker is stored beneath a cabinet, it may be necessary to move the coffeemaker away from the overhanging cabinet in order to fill the reservoir.